Escape into darkness

    With a word of caution, flash-lamp in his left hand, pistol in right, Lanyard stepped out into the darkness. In two minutes he was back, with a look of relief.

    "All clear," he reported; "I felt pretty sure Popinot knew nothing of this way out - else we'd have entertained uninvited guests long since. Now, half a minute - "

    The electric meter occupied a place on the wall of the scullery not far from the door. Prying open its cover, he unscrewed and removed the fuse plug, plunging the entire house into darkness.

    "That'll keep 'em guessing a while!" he explained with a chuckle. "They'll hesitate a long time before rushing a dark house infested by a desperate armed man - if I know anything about that mongrel lot! Besides, when they do get their courage up, the lack of light will stave off discovery of this way of escape."

(from The Lone Wolf, by Louis Joseph Vance)